


First Out of Many

by Darnskippytootin



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-01
Updated: 2018-06-09
Packaged: 2018-09-21 10:52:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,443
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9545228
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darnskippytootin/pseuds/Darnskippytootin
Summary: It was their first year living together in their own apartment. Just the two of them, and infinite opportunities for memories to be shared.





	1. Summer

It was hot, and Yang was suffering.

For the first time since Blake and Yang had permanently moved into Vale, the city was experiencing an unorthodox heatwave that practically put the kingdom of Vacuo to shame.  
At first, Yang hadn’t really been that bothered. The extra rise in temperature was an excellent excuse to shed off some clothes and show off enough skin to keep the heat at bay and her girlfriend a flustered mess. The only downside was the struggle of keeping herself hydrated. Yang had gotten used her semblance’s effect on her normal body temperature long since she had first discovered it, and while it was nothing short of a blessing during the cold winter times, it was an absolute pain in the ass during the humid summer season. The first time Yang experienced summer after unlocking her semblance, she had passed out from a heat stroke. The entire incident, while unpleasant, had taught Yang a valuable lesson to never let herself go too long without consuming something cold when the summer came around, and since then, she had been able to make do without much problem.

This time, however, might prove to be her undoing. While Yang had initially enjoyed the warm temperatures at first, it all went downhill as soon as the AC broke down right as she and Blake had planned to go to bed. The old machine had already been installed when the pair had moved in. As such, neither of them were very familiar with its mechanics and Yang wasn’t really in favor of accidentally breaking the thing if she tried to fix it. They both decided they would just have to make do until they could buy a new one or perhaps ask Ruby to look into it.  
“Making do” however, turned out to be easier said than done, at least for Yang, because while Blake was sleeping soundly, cat ears twitching ever so slightly, Yang was doing anything but.

The damn heat had woken her up.

Waking up nearly soaked in her own sweat had got to be just about the most disgusting feeling Yang had ever experienced. Every inch of her was soaked. It had seeped into her top and shorts, and while that was usually a sensation Yang had come to associate with pleasurable times along the company of her girlfriend, there was absolutely nothing pleasurable about her night clothes sticking to her soaked skin like wet paper towels.  
To make matters even worse, Blake, in her unconscious state, had decided that she wasn’t nearly as warm as she could have been, so she had chosen to curl up beside Yang while both of them had slept. How Blake hadn’t gotten woken up by the disgusting smell of sweat that was no doubt reeking from the blonde, Yang didn’t know, but she was getting fairly certain that her own nose was starting to detect the horrid stench. That, coupled with the first pounds of an impending headache, finally made Yang decide to get out of bed to cool off before she passed out of a heatstroke.

Yang hesitantly pulled Blake’s body off her side, being extra careful not to disturb the usual light sleeper. When Blake was finally laid by herself, she let out a small groan, and a single cat ear did a minute twitch before eventually settling down again. Yang smiled gently at the faunus’ sleeping face. She gave a soft kiss to the woman’s scalp, right between her ears, before she pulled herself off the bed and went down into the kitchen, determined to find something that would hopefully save her from this unbearable heat…

 

Barely an hour had passed after Yang’s leaving before Blake, even in her unconscious state, had detected that something was wrong. The bed felt…weird. Blake’s delirious mind made it hard to focus on anything. One part of her tried its hardest to turn off her senses and lull her back to sleep, while another, more sensible part, had become aware of some sort of disturbance in her near surroundings, and was bidding her to investigate. Blake groaned against the comforter as her sensible part seemed to have won out against the favor of going back to sleep. She laid still for a moment, waiting for a moment as her senses slowly came back to life again. The first thing Blake noticed was that the passing heatwave was still far from done, her skin feeling slightly damp. Though, unlike Yang, she was a bit better accustomed to hotter temperatures. Still, Blake wouldn’t have minded a breeze…  
Speaking of breezes, Blake’s ears picked up a muffled whirring sound from the other side of the bedroom door, most likely the fan in her and Yang’s living room. Weird; Blake was pretty certain she had turned the thing off right before bed, though it was possible that Yang had turned it back on when their AC malfunctioned.

Speaking of Yang…

Her girlfriend had looked worse for wear when they were finally settled in bed, but Blake decided that one summer night without constant cooling probably wasn’t going to kill Yang. Hopefully. With her head still comfortably nestled on the comforter, and her eyes screwed shut, Blake blindly thrust her arm to Yang’s bedside. After lazily patting her girlfriend’s usual sleeping spot, Blake noticed two things: One, the bed sheet was extremely damp and was going to need to be changed before anyone could sleep on it again. Two, Yang was missing.  
Blake sighed. It seemed Yang hadn’t been able to take the heat after all if the damp sheets and the heavy stench of sweat were anything to go by. That also explained why the fan was turned on. Yang must be trying to cool down before going back to bed. Satisfied that the disturbance Blake had felt was just Yang leaving the bed for a short while, the faunus immediately decided to turn her attention back to a good night’s rest and fell asleep again, as if nothing had happened…

…Any day now…

…Soon, Blake would be awake no more…

…Just a little longer, and…

_God freaking dammit._

Blake groaned in dismay. There was no way in hell that she would be able to sleep, knowing that Yang was on the other side of the door, and unaware of when she would get back. As pathetic as it may have sounded, Yang was sometimes the only thing that could get Blake to sleep, and not just because of her semblance; It wasn’t only Yang’s warmth that often lulled Blake to sleep, even on the worst of nights. It was something even cornier, and that was why Blake hated admitting it in front of anyone. If rumors got out that Blake Belladonna at heart was a hopelessly dorky romantic, her entire cool demeanor, that she had worked so hard to maintain, would be ruined forever. Reputations aside, sleeping without Yang felt lonelier than it should have, and Blake wasn’t about to stand for it.

Even if she really wanted to…

Begrudgingly, Blake pulled her body off the bed, swinging her legs sloppily to the side before standing up and heading with slow steps towards the bedroom door. On the other side, Blake was greeted with the sight of her girlfriend sitting beside the kitchen counter where their fan was currently blasting at full force directly into her face. The (somewhat) strong gust from the fan had the effect of blowing at Yang’s wild mane showing more and more skin from well-defined back muscles that were completely devoid of a top.

_…Wait what?_

Sure enough, a little in front of Blake’s own feet was Yang’s orange top, sprawled on the floor. Blake didn’t know whether to be annoyed by Yang’s messy behavior or the fact that Yang had gone against one of the few house rules established sometime after first moving in, that being no nudity outside of the bedroom. At least until they could get some curtains for the living room and no longer had to fear about any voyeurs in the apartment complexes across their own. Disgruntled, and trying very hard to fight off a blush, Blake picked up the discarded top and threw it at the back of the blonde’s head.  
Yang jumped up in surprise.  
“Wha-?“ Looking around frantically, Yang’s eyes finally settled on Blake, standing across from her with her arms crossed. Yang smiled sheepishly. She should have known that Blake wouldn’t be able to continue sleeping without detecting her lacking presence. Blake had always been scarily observant, even in sleep. It was an odd quirk Yang couldn’t help but find endearing. Well, that, and the way she always blushed brightly whenever Yang showed off even more hint of skin than her usual getup already did. Yang couldn’t help but be unabashedly pleased with the small flush donning her girlfriend’s face when she turned around, completely bearing her front towards Blake, the top that had been thrown at her dangling between her fingertips. “Problem, kitten?” she asked saucily. She knew that she was breaking one of the house rules Blake had been a bit more insistent on, but honestly, if having to choose between a heatstroke and a flustered Blake, then Yang had to say that she was- wait, what was the downside to this again?  
Blake rolled her eyes at Yang’s comment.

“I am not talking to you before you put that top on,” she said simply. Yang merely chuckled but complied anyway. Taking the top off had helped a little with her heating predicament, but not a lot, and while the fan was fairly efficient at cooling down her skin, her insides were still burning up from the effects of her semblance. Yang wiped off a couple of beads of sweat from her forehead which Blake immediately noticed. “Is it too warm for you?” She asked, genuine concern emitted from her voice and made Yang smile and shake her head dismissingly.

“No, no it's fine,” she said waving her hand nonchalantly. “It's nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Just go back to bed.” Yang tried her hardest to appear convincing to Blake, not wanting to burden the faunus. Blake wasn’t having any of it though. Aside from the fact that Blake already knew she wasn’t getting any sleep without Yang, she wasn’t about to let her girlfriend handle a genuine problem on her own when she obviously needed help.

“Don’t be dumb.” Blake pulled an elastic band from one of the kitchen drawers and walked back to stand behind Yang. “I’m already awake now. It's not like I would be able to sleep anyway, knowing you were out here dealing with this.” Once Blake had said this, Yang's hair had been neatly put up in an efficient ponytail to give her neck some breathing room. Satisfied, Blake pressed a sweet kiss to Yang’s cheek and rested her head against a warm shoulder. “So, what can I do to help?”

Yang sighed happily at the relief her neck finally got once her hair had been put up. Honestly, she was really happy on the inside that Blake wasn’t just going back to bed, though she still felt like she should be able to handle this on her own, she also recognized that Blake wasn’t just going to let this one go. “…Thanks, kitten,” she murmured, and returned the kiss, “but I honestly don’t know how you could help. By this point, I think that the best thing you could do is just stuffing me in the freezer.” Yang chuckled at her own joke, finding the image of Blake shoving her down the freezer together with all the ice cubes rather hilarious, but while Yang was laughing away, Blake gave the refrigerator a scrutinizing look.

Then she got an idea. 

* * *

 

A couple of minutes later, Yang was led into the bathroom, Blake holding her hands in front of Yang’s eyes to make sure she wouldn’t sneak a peek.

“Okay,” she said, once they were completely inside, “now you can look.” Blake removed her hands and Yang’s eyes shot wide open, eager to see what her girlfriend had been preparing for her. In front of her, Yang was greeted to the sight of their bathtub, filled to the bring with cold water and the ice cubes from their fridge combined to make a neat little homemade ice bath for Yang and Yang only.

Yang practically jumped into the bathtub, not minding the ice cold temperature as much as she should in Blake’s opinion. With the ice cubes bouncing gently around Yang’s heated frame, she was finally able to breath out and relax without the fear of getting a heatstroke. Blake smiled to herself as she watched her girlfriend getting settled into her ice bath with the most content smile she had ever seen on Yang. Happy with the knowledge that Yang would be okay now, she leaned down and planted a small kiss on Yang’s cooling cheek.

“I’ll go back to the bed. Just don’t stay in there for too long or you’ll get a cold.” With that, she pulled herself back to her feet and turned around towards the bathroom door. Blake barely managed to take a single step away from the tub before she heard the sound of crashing water and felt a strong and cold hand grab her by the wrist and pull. What came next was a sensation Blake could only describe as death. Whatever warmth the world had ever granted Blake was sucked out of her entire being and replaced by a merciless, grueling cold so unspeakably cruel that Blake couldn’t help but scream. Not that it would help much, but it seemed like the best thing to do at the time, next to pummeling Yang and her big shit-eating grin. The fact that Yang was barely even trying to contain her mocking laughter didn’t really help.

“Yeesh Blake, wake up the neighbors a little more would you?” She said smugly, and that punch to the face seemed very much appealing to Blake, which she would have done already if she wasn’t stuck in Yang’s frustratingly strong arms. “You might get a noise complaint with all that screaming. And I didn’t even have to do much!” Yang was full on laughing now and Blake was, regrettably, condemned to sit through it with flushed cheeks, either from the cold water or Yang’s lewd insinuations, Blake didn’t know, and she didn’t care, she just wanted to get out already!  
“V-v-very funny you j-jackass,” she stuttered, barely able to get the words out through her clambering teeth, “now let me go! I-I have to go change clothes…” Blake didn’t have to turn around to know that Yang was pouting, as she always did whenever Blake scolded her. Frankly, Blake couldn’t care less and was more than a little agitated at the inconvenience Yang had suddenly caused her. God, Blake just wanted to go back to bed and sleep… Yang’s arms didn’t nudge a botch though when Blake tried to move. Exhausted and unbelievably cold, Blake slouched back down to Yang’s chest with a mournful sigh. “Yang _p-please_ just let me go, I want to sleep…”

“But I don’t want you to go…” Yang complained, sounding like a toddler being denied a second piece of candy, “I want to hug you a little longer… please...?” Yang nuzzled her face into the crook of Blake’s neck and hugged her even tighter so that her entire form enveloped Blake’s smaller frame. Blake moaned miserably at how nice Yang’s body felt around her own, even in the cold water. Fate was a cruel mistress indeed. Blake had finally gotten what she wanted, but at what cost? The company of the woman she loved and the abhorrent combination of wet and cold were putting Blake in quite the predicament. Whether Blake chose to stay or go didn’t matter, she would end up miserable either way. So cruel was Blake’s dilemma, that she had no other choice but to wail at the injustice of everything and the woman who had put her in this situation to begin with.

_“Yang…”_ Still, Blake made no effort to move. If she had to suffer, then at least she could do it with the love of her life. Actually… Blake didn’t even feel that cold anymore. Her first thought was that the water must have started getting lukewarm, but that seemed a bit too early to be possible. Blake also doubted that her body had already adjusted to the cold temperatures. Her tendency to curl up in as many jackets as possible with the slightest temperature drop, even in subtropical climates such as that of Menagerie, had done Blake no favors when it came to her body’s temperature adjustment. Why in the world was she no longer freezing then?  
When the arms around Blake shifted slightly, it suddenly occurred to Blake that it wasn’t the water that had gotten warmer. The water’s shifting, caused by Yang’s movement, had Blake quickly shooting her head up a bit when the water threatened to invade her nostrils. The water was as cold as before, Blake noted, but when Yang’s head gently rested above Blake’s own, her sensitive cat ears twitched at the contact of Yang’s warm cheek. That’s when Blake realized, it wasn’t the water that had gotten warmer, but Yang, using her semblance to keep her warmth-fanatical girlfriend above the freezing point.

Before she could stop herself, Blake desperately pulled herself closer to her blonde heat source, turning her body so she laid with her front against Yang. When she heard a hearty chuckle brushing against her ear, Blake hid her blushing face in the crook of Yang’s neck, not in the mood to being teased by Yang any further, but also way too comfortable to make her complaints sound believable. Yang only continued to snicker quietly but offered a small kiss to a twitching faunus ear regardless. Blake was effectively warm at this point, but the uncomfortable feeling of her wet yukata clinging to her body brought some semblance of rationality back to Blake and had her try to convince Yang, hoping to have logic overcome her relentless girlfriend. Although, this was only made more difficult with the small purrs threatening to spill from her chest.

“Yang…” She muttered, her voice was slightly muffled against Yang’s neck. “We have to get up… if we fall asleep now we’ll both get colds…” Still, though, Blake made no attempt to move. She knew she should, she knew she really should, but God damn it all to hell, she was comfortable, and if her body wouldn’t obey logic, then she would just have to hope that Yang could see common sense and have the strength Blake lacked to get them both out of the bathtub and onto their warm bed…

Ah hell, she might as well have asked Ruby to give up Crescent Rose…

“We’ll deal with it when it comes,” Yang muttered, and tightened her arms around Blake once more. When she was sure that Blake was comfortably nestled against her, she let a powerful surge of her semblance course through her body, engulfing herself, and by extension Blake, in a hot, but not unpleasant, glow. The action had the desired effect of finally forcing that adorable purring sound out of Blake and reducing her to soft and cuddly goo. It wasn’t long before they both drifted off.

As expected, they both woke up that morning with sore throats and mind-numbing headaches. Blake would spend the entire day blaming Yang for their unfortunate predicament, but if they both were to be honest with themselves, it was quite clear that Blake herself was more to blame than anything, but Yang couldn’t really get herself to care. Now she finally had an excuse to cuddle in bed with Blake all day long. That was a no-lose situation in her book.


	2. Autumn

A heavy storm descended upon Vale two hours before Yang had to close the bar for the day. Being already in a foul mood, Yang audibly cursed herself for having forgotten to take an umbrella with her to work, her own girlfriend had called out to her retreating back as Yang left in a hurry that morning that it was going to rain extensively later in the afternoon. Yang had decided to take the risk anyway, not wanting to bother having to carry the thing around if most of the day was going to be clear skies anyway, especially since she would only have her left arm at her disposal while Ruby finished the repairs on her prosthetic.  
When the rain finally arrived, Yang became irritated at herself, but quickly calmed down again. It would probably have passed by once she had to leave.

Such was not the case.

Yang trotted the two and a half miles from work to home, struggling against the howling wind and pouring rain. She had barely stepped out for a minute or two before her entire being became soaked from top to toe. Her long mane of hair whipped angrily to every direction under the force of the cruel gust. Yang could already tell that she wouldn’t have the energy to untangle all of the knots in her hair before she went to bed, and come tomorrow she would probably have to ask Blake to cut off portions of her hair that could not be saved. Yang was positively seething with fury. The world seemed to continue to test her and has a low thunder boomed somewhere off in the distance, Yang half-wished that a bolt of lighting would just strike her there and then and put her out of her misery.

Luckily, Yang made it home to her and Blake's shared apartment before her wish could come true. Not finding herself in too much of a hurry to enter her home, Yang refrained from using the elevator and instead elected to use the staircase. With each step Yang took, her frustration slowly started to evaporate along with the wetness covering her attire, giving way to simple exhaustion. Some anger still lingered, but it was more easily contained. For now, at least, Yang didn’t have to worry about putting a hole in the walls of their home. Blake had nearly chewed her head off after Yang had tried to assemble a DIY coffee table with unfortunate results. As she came face to face with the apartment door, Yang took a second to compose herself. She could hear Blake talking on the other side, most likely on her scroll. The thought of her girlfriend did wonders to Yang’s frustration, and she eagerly looked forward to simply forgetting the whole day and falling asleep next to Blake.

Yang opened the door and was immediately welcomed by the sight of her girlfriend standing in their living room looking out the window. Blake’s ear flicked and she turned her head to look at Yang, relief painted on her face.

“Hey.” She said with a small smile. She put her scroll down on the window sill before she walked over to Yang, “I was starting to get worried.” Blake put her hands on Yang’s shoulders and gave her a small kiss before her smile turned to a frown. “I told you to bring an umbrella with you.” Yang looked abashed down at her feet where she could see a wet spot forming on the entrance mat.

“Sorry…” She knew Blake hated it whenever Yang created a mess in their apartment. Late-night squabbles would carry on in tandems of apologies and I-told-you-so’s. Even if Blake never seemed too upset about it (unless she’d had an especially crappy day), Yang always felt a little guilty about being too careless in their own home. Though Yang certainly did her own share of house chores, Blake always seemed to be the one stuck cleaning up after her whenever Yang got forgetful about one thing or the other. Blake would always play it off with a smile and faked grumble, but on the days like Yang was having now, it was seriously graining on the blonde’s conscience.

Blake noticed the sullen look in Yang’s stare. She lifted Yang’s gaze by her chin and looked at her with concerning eyes.

“Are you okay?” Yang took the hand lifting her chin and pressed a kiss to Blake’s knuckles.

“I’m fine,” she said, “a long day is all…” Yang knew that Blake had more than enough to worry about with her own job without adding Yang’s troubles to the mix. She didn’t want Blake to waste her time on something as trivial as a bad day. Blake still looked concerned, but Yang gave her smile to hopefully put those concerns to rest. Blake didn’t look entirely convinced, but she still offered Yang a smile in return.

“Okay. At any case, you should probably take a shower. I don’t think either of us want you to get another cold again after that ice bath incident.” Blake playfully poked at Yang’s shoulder in a mock chiding and Yang couldn’t help but chuckled as she made her way to their bathroom.

“If I remember correctly, that ice bath was your idea. I just took advantage of the situation.” She jested over her shoulders. Blake offered no response besides a grumpy ‘whatever’ which again made Yang giggle slightly.

As soon as the door to the bathroom was closed, Yang let out a sigh. She was too tired for a bath, but a quick shower would probably still do her some good. Hopefully.

She slowly began to disrobe; articles of clothes were thrown haphazardly about in the enclosed space. Before Yang stepped below the shower head, she lightly kicked at the clothes so that they were all bundled together; she would put them in the basket once she was done. Yang turned on the shower and let her figure be enveloped in the warm waters. Yang's muscles slowly started to relax, the strain they had been put through began ever so slowly to loosen under the gentle pressure of the shower.

…But Yang still felt wrong.

She tried to let her mind wander, letting go of her worries and just soaking in the warmth that enveloped her body, but no matter how hard she tried, her mind kept returning to her day at work. The frustration, the anger, the feeling of complete let down over every single facet that had made her day such a pain in the ass, from her prosthetic, which was still in disrepair, the umbrella, which she had forgotten at home, and that fucking racist _prick-_

Yang’s hand clenched in anger, her nails were prickling painfully against her palm, but she barely noticed. She had at some point leaned her head against the tiled wall. Maybe she had hoped that the smooth surface would help cool down her forehead which was still prickling with mental tension, but no such relief came. The shower was beginning to feel less and less comfortable. Thick steam encased the entire bathroom, almost suffocating Yang. She turned the shower off and cracked a small window slightly open to let the steam out. The storm was still raging outside. The warm steam was slowly replaced by cold air, but Yang, feeling inexplicably numb, couldn’t get herself to pay it any mind.

Yang walked up to the foggy mirror with tentative steps. She didn't feel in any hurry to put on her clothes immediately. Her hand hesitated in front of the mirror before she carefully wiped it clean of the steam. Eventually, Yang came face to face with her own reflection. She stood there for a moment. Yang suddenly realized that she hadn’t gotten a chance to look at herself after she left the bar, the only exception being when she had seen her image reflected in worried amber eyes. As Yang stared into the cold, hard glass, a part of her was happy that she had tried to settle Blake’s worries with a forced smile, because if Blake was there to see Yang now…

Yang wondered if Blake would have seen her at all. Standing in front of the mirror, Yang shouldn't be having second thoughts as to who was staring back at her, but as she scrutinized the cold glass in front of her, all Yang could see was all the things that didn't make her feel like Yang anymore.  
Her lilac eyes seemed duller without their usual vibrancy. Her hair, still knotted and roughed up from the storm, didn’t resemble the long golden mane Yang had spent so many waking hours tending to. So many new scars littered her body from hits she had taken from others and hits she had been too slow, or stubborn, to avoid.

And of course, the most glaring aberration sat right there on Yang’s right side, a little above where her elbow was supposed to be. The golden clasp situated on the stub of her arm seemed to almost taunt her. Without her prosthetic, it only served to remind Yang of what she had lost when Beacon fell. Her failure in protecting Blake, her inability to make a stand against Adam, her hopelessness when Blake had left…

She couldn’t take this. Why did she still feel this way? Beacon was rebuilt, Blake returned to her side, Adam was dead! _Why did it still hurt so much?!_

A sudden crack snapped Yang back to reality, and she suddenly became aware of the porcelain sink which had fractured where she had been holding onto it with a clenched fist. Yang looked back up to the mirror and saw that her eyes had turned a crimson red. She hung her head back down to avoid her own molten gaze. Her breath was labored. The all too familiar sensation of gathering tears had Yang furiously rubbing the back of her hand against her eyes to prevent them from falling.

She couldn’t let Blake see her like this. She didn’t have the energy to explain why she had suddenly become a sobbing mess. Most of all, Yang couldn’t bear the thought of Blake finally getting fed up with her for being such a burden. Yang knew Blake wasn’t like that, and that she would jump at the chance to make her feel better, but…

Shaking her head, Yang opted to retreat for the night. Even if she didn't get much sleep, laying down for a bit and just doing nothing would at least be better than standing naked in the bathroom for god knows how long staring at her naked reflection. Yang put on the nightclothes she had hanging on of the rackets, thankfully remembering to throw her wet clothes into the hamper, she carefully inched the bathroom door open. Blake stood with her back turned to Yang while she tended to the stove. Yang looked at her for a moment, contemplating what to do. She knew that Blake would instantly notice she had cried if she saw her. Yang felt slightly ashamed as she considered if sneaking past would be possible.

The noise of Blake's phone blaring from the window still broke Yang's thoughts as Blake left the stove to answer the call. A few seconds passed before Blake walked directly into the small office beside the kitchen. Yang could hear Blake answering the other person using her ‘Huntress' voice, the voice on the other line most probably belonging to an important faunus member from the newly re-established White Fang. The moment Blake was out of sight, Yang made a beeline for their bedroom.

Hopefully, Blake wouldn’t be too mad at her for being such a coward.

* * *

When Blake ended the call and stepped out from her office, she couldn’t help but frown when she noticed the bathroom door cracked slightly opened but still seeing no sign of Yang in the living room or kitchen. She walking up to the finished stew and turned off the stove, contemplating calling out that dinner was ready, but thought better of it.

Yang hadn't looked well when she came home. Granted she had just walked through a literal storm, but there was something in her eyes that Blake couldn't help but worry about, even if Yang had insisted on being fine. Her girlfriend was infamous for downplaying her own struggles.

Did she just go to sleep? It could have been simple exhaustion, Blake tried to reason, but somehow she still didn’t feel like that was the case. Although, she shouldn’t always let her worries get the better of her…

… Even though that's exactly what they did.

Blake slowly cracked the door to their bedroom open. She slightly tilted her head inside, eyes searching for her girlfriend.

“Yang?” She whispered. Her eyes fell on their bed where she could make out Yang’s form lying still beneath the covers. Blake stood there at the entrance to the room, waiting to see if Yang’s figure would move, or otherwise indicate if she was still awake or not. After a minute had passed with minimum movement, Blake tried to settle her worries and speculated that Yang must have simply been incredibly tired from work. It did happen from time to time after all, though usually, Yang would still stay up long enough to eat at least.  
Blake had been about to turn to close the door and let her girlfriend rest when she heard it.

A sob.

It was choked, bordering on silent, and if not for Blake’s faunus hearing she almost certainly would have missed it. Blake sighed internally and stepped into the room before letting the door close behind her. It was just as much to keep the hallway light from disturbing them as it was to give Yang some sense of privacy that helped comfort them both whenever their demons got the best of them. Yang must have thought that Blake had left the room because the sobs were definitely less filtered now, though she still seemed adamant about keeping as quiet as possible. Blake felt her heartbreak with every sniffle and whimper that escaped Yang.

Truth be told, this wasn’t the first time she had found Yang like this. Ever since the Fall of Beacon, Yang never really seemed to be the same happy-go-lucky girl Blake had met that night all those years ago. Some days, her smile never seemed to reach her eyes like they used to. Her laughter wasn’t as genuine as she’d make it out to be. It had taken Yang months to cope with the trauma from the Fall, and no matter what she said, Blake would never let go of that sickening guilt and shame that seeped down to her core whenever she was reminded of how her own actions had aided to cause Yang pain. But there was no point in sticking to the past; what was done is done, and Blake had made a promise since their reunion. A promise that she would always stay by Yang's side and help carry her burdens. Even if Yang didn't want her to. Because truly, even when Yang was at her lowest, she never seemed to give up on the notion that she should be the strong one. Always be the helper, and never the one in need of help. It was a trait that Blake both loved and loathed in the stubborn blonde because no matter how much Yang might have wanted to be the sole martyr of their team, even she had her breaking point.  
But Blake would make sure that she wouldn’t have to deal with it alone.

Blake walked with silent steps to the hairdresser to the side of the room. She plucked a lonely comb from the counter before she sat herself down on their bed, right beside the breaking blonde. Yang finally noticed her presence. Her entire body seemed to stiffen when Blake's weight settled down on the mattress. Even then, she didn't dare move an inch. Maybe she thought she could still convince Blake that she was asleep, anything to avoid being confronted with what was bothering her. It was odd, for sure, to see Yang Xiao Long being fearful of anything. Surely, a mighty huntress like herself could handle a simple conversation with her very own girlfriend, right? That's what you might think, but things were never "simple" when it came to Yang. Not because she was a difficult person, but because she was a person of difficult struggles. She was the caretaker, the bombshell, the strong one. She was sunshine and solar winds incarnate. Unstoppable, unmovable, unbreakable…

But she was also human. And whether or not it was the simple nature of aura and souls, people will always bend. All you need is enough pressure.

Blake reached out with a careful hand to settle on Yang's exposed shoulder. She rubbed the skin there with her thumb gently. She could feel the way Yang´s body tightened ever so slightly, struggling to hold the tears in and not breaking down completely in front of her girlfriend, again. Blake still vividly remembered the first time she had seen Yang break down. It was the second time she had realized that her partner wasn't always the invincible tank she made herself out to be. It was also the first time she fully comprehended how much Yang’s well being truly affected her. It was scary, in a way. Blake had grown up most of her life having to learn to take care of herself, surviving independently and without having to care for others. The people Blake had devoted her life goal to help weren’t anyone she was personally acquainted with, they were just faceless faunas like herself. Undefined and unknown. Having your heart so fully intertwined with another being that you feel their pain to the core of your own soul… well, it wasn’t something Blake was very familiar with, to say the least. As a result, she had been woefully unprepared and inexperienced when Yang had reached her lowest point, falling so deep that she didn’t even know how to get back up, and Blake didn’t know how to help her. All she could do was be there, holding her close and whispering quiet reassurances.

_I’m here. I won’t leave again. You’ll be okay._

Yang had later assured her that that had been enough, but Blake still couldn’t shake the feeling of uselessness that had clawed mercilessly at her heart as she just held the sobbing blonde in her arms. Thankfully, that had been a long time ago, and Blake was finally starting to find out ways to help her girlfriend without making her feel like the burden she fears to be.  
Blake slowly leaned over the blonde´s body, hand still on her shoulder.

"Can I brush your hair?" She asked tentatively, "I know you hate dealing with knots in the morning." For a few short moments, there weren't any response, the only audible sounds coming from the outside storm. Finally, Yang gave a feeble nod. They moved so that Yang sat at the edge of the bed with Blake behind her, carefully brushing the still-damp mass of locks and untangling any knots that had build up from Yang’s everyday activities. Blake was extra cautious not to pull anything too hard, making sure to start from the bottom of Yang’s tips and slowly working up into the thick locks of her golden mane. They sat there in silence. The golden waves soon began to return to their original, prosperous state, and Yang was starting to loosen up as well. The tension in her body slowly evaporated, and her harsh and forced breathing soon escalated to a calm rise and fall of her chest. Slow and gentle.

When Blake finally finished, she moved so that she was sitting at Yang’s left side, the comb laid forgotten somewhere on the ruffled sheets. Blake took Yang’s hand in her own, which finally prompted the blonde to look at her in the eyes. Almost, at least.

“Thanks…” She said quietly. Her voice was barely audible, and Blake could tell that Yang was fretting having to open up about her pains yet again, but it had to be done. For both of them, and most of all for Yang herself.

"Don't mention it." Blake leaned in to press her lips on the blonde's cheek. The kiss was gentle and comforting, Blake squeezed the hand in her own and her heart felt full when Yang squeezed back. Blake moved her kiss from Yang's cheek to the corner of her mouth, then she pulled back. Gold collided with lilac for just a moment before the blonde's eyes shifted again to look anywhere else in their room. Blake wouldn't stand for it, though. She tenderly palmed Yang's cheek and turned her face so that they were eye to eye again. Yang's eyes shifted downwards, and the sight of gathering tears bordering on her eyelids was enough to make Blake's heartbreak a second time. She pushed golden locks behind ears so she could look at Yang’s face unobscured. Blake held a steadfast grip on Yang’s gaze with her own, hoping that the intimate contact could help convey her unspoken words of the utmost love and adoration to the blonde.

_I love you. I Always have, and I always will._

One hand moved from Yang’s cheek to the top of her hair, stroking the soft locks gently. This finally bided Yang to lean in closer to Blake, resting her head against her shoulder, simply closing her eyes and letting herself be comforted as Blake held her close. Blake laid a kiss on Yang’s temple before she wrapped both her arms around her. Yang offered no resistance, only snuggled up closer to Blake's shoulder.

They stayed in that position for a while. The storm outside had subsided to a never-ending drizzle, foregoing the previous howls of the wind and far away thunder as a welcome change. With the way they sat, Blake had most of Yang's form entirely embraced in her arms. Her right arm was settled around Yang's waist while the other was reached across to run smooth touches from Yang's cheek to her shoulder, and finally the short expand of her right arm. Blake's hand would always stop a short distance away from the golden clasp where her prosthetic would usually be connected to. Blake forced down a shiver from running down her spine away time she got close to the cut off section. That night would always haunt her in her worst nightmares, but this was Yang’s reality. Blake dropped a small kiss on Yang’s crown.

“Do you want to tell me what happened?” She asked softly. Yang remained silent for a few seconds, not moving from the spot. Blake waited patiently for her to answer. Eventually, Yang responded in a small voice.

“Nothing…really happened….” She muttered, “work was a pain in the ass. I had to deal with some dipshit who kept threatening to tear up the bar if we didn’t throw a faunus couple out. He even had some ‘friends’ to back him up too, so that was a lot of fun. Add to the fact that I only have my one freaking arm, and I was left trying to solve the whole thing ‘civilly’ before things got worse…” Blake sighed in sympathy, but let Yang talk undisturbed. She would like to ask why Yang hadn’t just called her at the precinct so she could come and help with the situation, but she knew how Yang was like with these things. “Then,” she continued, “I hadn’t taken my umbrella with me to work, so I had to walk through all of that shit-” She gestured with her head towards the window where the rain was still coming down “-all the way to home.” Yang loosened herself from Blake’s embrace, staring down at her hand resting on her knee. “I just…” She sighed mournfully.

For a few moments, it was quiet in their room once again, with the only exception being the patter of rain against the window. Yang turned her head to a small picture frame which stood on a drawer across from them. It depicted the early days of team RWBY. They had all gotten a similar copy from their dutiful leader not long after Salem’s calamity had been dealt with. Looking at the still image of herself, back before Beacon fell, before she lost her arm, it once again dawned on Yang how she would never be able to go back to those days. The time when Yang felt invincible. Where every match could be conquered with barely a sweat. Where she could sleep soundly at night without lingering fears of waking up alone...

That time was over.

Blake’s eyes never strayed from Yang’s form, waiting ever so patiently for her to continue. It was a great relief for Blake when Yang’s gaze finally met her own, but the relief was short-lived. The wetness pooling at her eyelids was unmistakable. It took every ounce of Blake’s self-control to not reach over, to not take this beautiful woman into her arms and protect her with all her might. Yang deserved so much more than what the world had given her. “Do you-” Yang abruptly cut herself off. She took a deep breath, head turning down where her eyes could linger on her lap. Once she would sure that her voice wouldn’t waver too much, Yang spoke again. “This entire day… and most of the week has just been complete shit, and… I just…” Yang was fighting against hiccups and shaking breaths, furiously rubbing the tears gathering in her eyes. Blake’s nails prickled painfully against her palms in her clenched fists. “…I’m so tired of still feeling this way…” She looked back at Blake with such a pained gaze. “I can’t even look at myself in the mirror without getting sick…”

Blake’s resolve shattered into a million pieces. She launched her arms out towards Yang and pulled her into a fierce embrace. The dam broke for Yang. The realization of what she had just admitted, the confession of her pain, Blake's vice grip, it all tore at her defenses and left her a pitiful, sobbing mess. She cried like she hadn't cried in months. There was nothing Yang could do to control herself, no way that she could reel it all in once the tears had finally broken out. All she could do was bury her face into Blake's shoulder, clutching at her back like a lifeline. All she could do was hold on. Blake held onto Yang throughout her breakdown. While Yang sobbed and shook and howled into her shoulder, Blake kept her close.

When the tremors started to slow down, she slowly ran a comforting hand up and down her back. When Yang’s head eased down from her shoulder closer to her chest, Blake left small, gentle kisses to the top of her curls. When Yang’s cries were reduced to whimpers, Blake leaned down to whisper in her ear:

"I've got you." Yang's form folded over, her strength depleted as she could no longer hold herself up anymore. Blake sat steadfastly as her only support.

Minutes passed as they both sat there in silence. Blake still cradled Yang close to her body. She would press small kisses to Yang's head every once in a while but otherwise said nothing. Yang didn't move an inch. Couldn't, in fact. She felt…completely drained. It always amazed her how these breakdowns could sap more energy out of her than most hunts. She wanted to sleep so badly. She felt when Blake’s hand stilled at her lower back, her other hand reaching to cup Yang’s face so their eyes could meet. Her warm, amber gaze reignited small embers in Yang’s heart. Not enough to start a fire, but there was warmth nonetheless.

“Is there anything you need?” Blake asked her, thumb stroking over damp cheeks. Yang could barely hold her eyes open much longer.

“I just… really want to sleep…” Blake nodded. Without another word, she easily hefted Yang’s entire frame into her arms, shifting a bit on the bed until she placed Yang gently down on the mattress again. Just as Blake had settled her, Yang buried her head into the pillows as she stammered slightly.

"C-could you… stay for a bit…?" But Blake had already pulled the covers over herself as she laid down beside Yang. She reached a hand out to once again caress Yang's cheek. Leaning in and placing a last kiss to Yang's forehead, she whispered with heartfelt sincerity.

“I’ll stay as long as you want me to.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally got this one out of the way. I'll be honest, I'm not entirely sure how satisfied I am with this one, but I've been struggling with this for a while, so for now, I'll just be happy to finally get it out there so that I can move onto other things ^ ^
> 
> This is a bit more angsty than what I normally write, but don't worry! The next chapters will be a lot more fluffy, promise :P 
> 
> Constructive criticism is always appreciated
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	3. Winter

Snow pelted against the living room window like bullets; even the thought of going out during the storm was enough to make Blake's ears lie back against her scalp in discomfort. This, among other reasons, was why she couldn't fathom what in the world had prompted Yang to go on an errand while the snow and ice still raged the city of Vale. With no obligations hanging over her head, and without Yang there to rouse her, Blake had effectively slept well until noon. She had woken up in an empty bed, expecting to find her girlfriend relaxing on their coach or working on breakfast. When she exited their bedroom, she instead came to find a golden note stuck to the fridge.

_Am out in the city to get some important stuff. Be back soon!_

_Love you <3_

A good couple of hours had since passed, and Blake was seriously starting to get worried. She sighed. The storm only seemed to be getting worse, or at least, it seemed so to Blake. She had initially tried to call Yang after the first hour, only to discover that, in her apparent hurry, Yang had forgotten to bring her scroll with her. In Blake's defense, she really had tried to pass the time and not fret too much, but not even her books could not offer her any consolation. After growing tired of pacing around, Blake slumped down onto the couch with yet another heavy sigh. She wanted nothing more than to go out there and bring her girlfriend home herself, but with no way of contacting Yang, as well as the lack of foreknowledge as to where she would even hope to find her, chances seemed slim. Blake jumped up when she heard knocking coming from the front door. With hurried steps, she walked towards the entrance to fling the door open, chastisement ready on her tongue at her girlfriend's carelessness, only to come face to face with a stack of brown boxes.

"Oh!" She saw Yang's head peek out from behind the boxes, "Hey hon!" She greeted with an ecstatic smile. "Could you help me with these?" Blake only hesitated for a moment before she took two of the four (surprisingly heavy) boxes from Yang's arms. After they both got the stacks settled on the living room floor, Yang turned once again to head out towards the hall outside their apartment. Blake followed after, still a bit miffed, but mostly curious.

"What in the world where you doing out there? And why didn't you bring you scro-" She immediately cut herself off as she saw the monstrosity Yang was currently dragging in through the entrance. Blake stepped back to allow her girlfriend some space while she somehow managed to get the 7,5 feet tall pine tree in through the front door, leaving small scatterings of needles in its wake. Blake stood dumbfounded as Yang leaned the tree on the side of the kitchen island. She took a moment to make sure the tree wouldn't fall over before stepping back towards her girlfriend to place a small kiss on her cheek. Blake was still too confused to bother resisting the gesture, and could only look with raised brows as Yang looked back at her with the most satisfied and accomplished smile Blake had seen on her in a while. 

"Sorry for worrying you." Yang offered, sincerely. She went to place her palms on Blake's hips, forgetting momentarily their frozen state, which resulted in Blake letting out a surprised shriek. Reaching out towards her wrists, Blake held a firm grasp as she inspected her girlfriend's hands. Fortunately, Yang had had the sensibility to wear mittens. Unfortunately, they were completely soaked from the snow, as was the rest of her attire, Blake woefully noted. When she looked up again she was met with a sheepish smile and an apologetic gaze. Blake tried her best to remain steadfast, but staying mad at Yang when she was genuinely apologetic was a battle she had yet to conquer. Letting out a heavy sigh, Blake decided to help her girlfriend out of her water ridden clothes before any sickness could catch up with her.

Once Yang walked back into the living with a comfortable change of clothes, Blake decided to prod her once again. "So, dare I ask why you have brought four heavy boxes and a pine tree, that barely misses the ceiling, into our home?" Yang chuckled at her monotone delivery.

"Isn't it obvious?" She asked, kneeling down to open one of the boxes. Blake tried to look over her shoulder to see which contents resided there, only to have Yang shoot up again at lightning speed throwing a foreign object in her direction. Blake was taken so completely by surprise that she had no time to defend herself. She became even more surprised when the expected impact never hit her directly, but rather, looped around her waist, where she thereafter felt herself get tugged insistently forward, forcing her to brace herself against Yang's form. Her girlfriend's expression was the very essence of mischief and Blake looked down to see what she had, literally, gotten roped into. 

"…Tinsel?" She looked back with questioning eyes and Yang once again broke out into a huge grin.

"Yep!" She exclaimed, "I went out to get us a whole bunch of Christmas decorations! They had some pretty good sales down at the center, and there was only one decent looking tree left at stock, so I thought I would get it all done as quickly as possible before it was too late." Sure enough, Blake cranked her body to the side to get a better view at the box behind Yang and saw a plethora of red, green and white Christmas ornaments, ranging from mistletoes, figurines, lights and, yes, more tinsel.

Blake… honestly didn't know how to feel. It's not like she was completely unaccustomed to the Christmas celebration, but she had never actually celebrated it herself. Most of her childhood had been spent traveling with her parents and protesting alongside them before her dad initially retired as the leader of the White Fang. When she abandoned her parents to continue protesting as Adam's… partner, celebrations of any kind were saved only for successful heists and the new years to "mark another year fighting for justice." Joining team RWBY had brought the celebrations and holidays back to Blake's life, but by the time Christmas turned up, Ruby, Yang, and Weiss had traveled back to their respected families while Blake, not wanting to intrude, stayed behind at the dorms. Needless to say, the long period of time starting from Beacon's Fall and ending at Salem's defeat had been too hectic and… death inducing for anyone to remain in festive moods for too long. This would well and truly be Blake's first ever, properly celebrated, Christmas night and morning alongside someone she loved.

"Huh…" Blake simply said, still deep in thought. Yang mistook her hesitance for reluctance though, and her smile quickly fell as she unwrapped the tinsel from Blake's waste and tugging at it sheepishly in her hands.

"Um…" She scratched the back of her neck. "Is that okay with you? I know I probably should have said something earlier, but I kinda wanted this to be a surprise so…" Blake was quick to rid Yang of any worries by cupping her cheeks and pulling her down for a chaste, sweet kiss. She felt Yang smile into the kiss and found herself mimicking the gesture, unable to resist a satisfactory sigh induced by Yang's arms hugging her even closer to her warm frame. When the kiss finally ended, Yang was back in her gleeful mood and seemed barely able to contain her excitement as her smile split into a joyful grin. "So, you don't mind? The decorations, I mean." Blake chuckled and thumped the dimples donning Yang's cheeks.

"Of course not." The two women finally let go of each other so that Blake could closer inspect the different ornaments and get a better idea of how to go about placing them all in their relatively small abode. "You really went all out…" She commented, raising a string of Christmas lights that seemed to stretch out forever. Yang chuckled.

"Well, that's how we do it at the Xiao Long's!" Something inside Blake fluttered at the implication of being considered a part of the Xiao Long family, and she quickly centered herself, hiding her reaction by pretending to inspect the other boxes.

"Oh trust me, I'm well acquainted with how the ‘Xiao Longs' do things," as expected, Yang sent her a saucy wink and Blake smirked in reply before once again turning her attention back to the decorations, "I'm just not sure how you're expecting us to fit all of this inside our home without accidentally tripping up all over the place." Blake wasn't really surprised that Yang had gone this far. The old lodge back in Patch, where she and Ruby had grown up, was a lot bigger than their moderately small apartment. Still, though, this felt a bit excessive. When Blake opened another box, revealing even more decorations, she had half a mind to try and convince Yang to return at least two of the boxes for the sake of their safety and her sanity, but a single look at her girlfriend quickly halted her. Yang's eyes were sparkling. She sat with crossed legs like an excited child, digging through the different items and turning them around to inspect them. Yang's expression fell ever so slightly when she dug out a single ornament and held it delicately in both her hands. It was a brilliant silver star.

"We used to have a star like this back in Patch," Yang said, her thump ghosting over the intricate design. "Mom always let me put the star on top of the tree, then Ruby would get mad because she wanted to put the star on the top. The only way mom and dad could get us to stop fighting was to somehow have us both put the star on the tree at the same time without making it fall." Yang chuckled, "easier said than done." Yang said all this with a smile, but her voice carried that familiar tone of loss and mourning that never really goes away, and it made Blake's heart ache. She had no doubt that the loss of her own mother at such a young age would have absolutely destroyed her. Yang deserved so much better. Sadly, Blake couldn't bring back the dead.

At the very least, she could give Yang this. Sanity be damned.

"Alright then," Blake stood up and surveyed the area they had to work with. Yang looked up at her with raised brows. Blake smiled down at her, "Where do we start?" Yang's grin returned tenfold, and she was quick to jump up beside her. 

"First, let's get these bad boys up," she said, holding up a handful of tinsel. The glittering, puffy strings dangled so enticingly from Yang's fingertips. Blake felt a nervous sweat run down her forehead; this might turn out to be more difficult than she thought...

The next few hours pass by in a rush. Coordination wasn't really the name of the game, and as such, both huntresses were basically left to throw the decorations around any convenient place. Normally, the lack of structure and color coordination would have irked Blake, but in this one instance, she didn't really mind. There was a sort of ‘chaotic harmony' to the whole thing, and if there was ever a better description for the woman she called her very own girlfriend, Blake had yet to discover it. Still, though, there were certain propositions where Blake had to put her foot down.

"Yang, I was willing to let it slide before, but this has gone too far." Blake stood with her hands on her hips, scrutinizing her girlfriend, unaffected by the sad puppy-dog eyes sent her way. 

"B-but-!" Yang stammered.

"No more tinsel!" She gestured wildly at the monstrosity in front of them, "you can barely even see the tree! It just looks like a giant pyramid-shaped, badly wrapped, Christmas present!" In the end, Blake got her way and forced Yang to peel back on the fluffy strings which were then discarded back to their respective boxes. Later on, Yang caught Blake red-handed, sitting down on the floor in front of the boxes, flitting the tinsel between her fingers, even rubbing them against her face. Yang chose wisely not to comment on the satisfying, bare audible purr she swore had come from her girlfriend, deciding that she had already been thoroughly embarrassed enough as is. 

Eventually, when the sun had long since disappeared beyond the horizon, even sooner than the day before, Blake and Yang had finally finished with the last few touches. They both sat on the living room sofa, staring in wonder at the colorful lights shining brightly in the dark of their home. The beautiful sight, along with the faint noise of the much calmer snow storm still coming down upon Vale, added up to quite a calming atmosphere. Yang seemed to enjoy the quiet as well, leaning her head against Blake so as to brush her lips against a human ear, "Thanks for doing this with me." Blake had to suppress a slight shiver running down her body at the tingling sensation and Yang's smooth voice. Turning her head, Blake laid a chaste kiss on Yang's cheek.

"You don’t have to thank me. I’m just glad I get to spend this holiday with the most gorgeous woman in Vale all to myself.” Yang actually blushed and tried to hide her flushed face against the crook of Blake's neck. Chuckling at the gesture, Blake rested her head on top of Yang's, content to just sit there together for a little longer still… Until something suddenly brushed against one of her cat ears. Looking up in surprise Blake came face to face with a small plant, donned with green leaves and red berries, hanging above the both of them currently being grasped by Yang's left hand. Lilac eyes stared back at her own with a hint of mischief and affection. Blake shook her head, her lips were tilted up into a smirk, trying very hard not to giggle at her girlfriend's antics. Yang just stared at her with a widening smile, one which Blake reciprocated with her own.

When she finally brushed her lips to Yang's she couldn't help but wonder how Yang would have reacted if Blake had told her that the plant she was currently holding in actuality was a holly and not a mistletoe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do they celebrate Christmas in Remnant? Eh, who cares
> 
> Hope you guys like this one. It's a bit shorter than the other ones and not personally my favorite, but hopefully it was still enjoyable :)
> 
> Constructive critiscism is always appreciated  
> Thanks for reading!


	4. Spring

Yang hummed quietly for herself as she finished wiping the apartment windows. Outside she could see the sun shining brightly while clouds scattered across the sky here and there. The city of Vale was as lively as ever. Small patches of snow still lingered in the shadows of the street corners while flowers bloomed anew on garden terraces and the birds flew high and chirped happily along with the coming of Spring. It was a perfect day to go on a picnic, a hike, or even just a small ice-cream errand. As tempting as all those things were, Yang had important business to do in her and Blake’s home.

Now that her girlfriend and Ruby had finally returned from their two weeks long hunt, Yang didn’t have any excuse to put off her more domestic duties and decided that some good old-fashioned spring cleaning was well in order. While Blake rested up in their bed, Yang had made it her duty to make sure that all possible household chores would be completed by the time Blake woke up. With nothing for Blake to worry about, her girlfriend could have a well-deserved rest and just focus on regaining her strength after what must have been one of the more strenuous hunts she had taken in quite some time. Yang’s brows furrowed as she set about dusting off the bookshelves.

It had initially been a simple scouting mission. With Salem gone, Grimm activity seemed to have become docile enough for some kingdoms, such as Vale, to attempt to branch out their territories a bit further. The mistakes of mountain Glenn were not to repeated though, so several missions to scout out the chosen areas from every conceivable surface area, both above and below ground level, had been pitched to any interested huntsmen teams for quite an attractive reward. As this was only supposed to be a simple scouting mission, with no guaranteed confrontation with Grimm, Ruby and Blake had agreed to take the offer up as a pair. At this point in their huntressing careers, they could have completed most typical scouting missions with their eyes closed and aura to spare.

However, this had not been a typical scouting mission. 

Grimm were known for learning and evolving from their battles, and the more battles a Grimm had fought, the more dangerous it became as it learned to become less predictable and more cunning. Whatever Salem had taught the Grimm seemed to have stuck with them, even long after her demise. Ruby and Blake quickly found themselves ambushed while their guards were down. Had it not been for the quick response time of the backup teams, as well as their respective semblances allowing quick escape, there had been a good chance neither of them would have made it out safely in one piece. 

Yang didn’t know this, though.

Yang knew that the mission turned out to be far more dangerous than expected after Ruby and Blake’s return, (though it was completed) but she had no idea just how many close calls Blake had barely endured while fighting off wave after wave of Grimm.

As Blake lied on her back, looking up at the ceiling, she did what she so often found herself doing after missions like these and pondered over her own mortality. Being a huntress was a dangerous job. Of course, Blake had always known this. Ever since she got admitted to Beacon, she applied to the academy well aware that the path she had taken could, and probably would, lead to her eventual demise in the claws of overwhelming Grimm hoards. At the Fall of Beacon, when Penny and Pyrrha were both killed, Blake was once again reminded of how staggering the odds really were, and when Adam had shown up and almost taken Yang away from her, with the promise to one day finish the job, it finally donned on Blake how little time life allowed one to live in full happiness before it all could disappear.

There had been many close calls during that mission. Too many. If it wasn’t for the fact that Blake and Ruby had both spent years to hone their skills in battle as teammates, there was no doubt in her mind that neither of them would have made it. What made it so much worse, though, was the knowledge of how devastating this potential tragedy could have been for their friends and family waiting at home, especially Yang. Blake had made a promise long ago that she would be more open around Yang, but this was one truth Blake couldn’t force herself to disclose. With all this in mind, Blake couldn’t help but wonder how long she and Yang would really end up having with each other if their future missions turn out to be of similar caliber. While team RWBY was well in its prime, there was no guarantee when it came to hunting Grimm. If you’d had told Blake six years ago that she would pass away in battle at the age of 23, she would have told you that, as long as she could have been of some use to the rest of the world, she would be content with it. Now though? If you’d have talked to Blake six years ago, she would have never believed you if you told her that she would be in a happily committed relationship with the woman of her dreams. She would have never believed that she would be sharing a dream apartment with that same woman and steadily be building a life together. She would have never believed that she could ever be at a place in life where the prospect of “forever” didn’t scare her down to the bone…

Six years ago, Blake was content with death as long as she had something to die for. Now, Blake had something to _live_ for, and because of that, she feared death more than anything. 

* * *

After several hours of cleaning, Yang stretched her back and let out a satisfied groan after some hard work well done. With no speck of dust or dirt left in their apartment, their little abode looked even cleaner than when they had first bought it! The sun was well on its way to set at this point, and since Yang didn’t have the energy to cook something up she decided that Blake probably wouldn’t mind some takeaway for dinner. It was at the thought of her girlfriend that Yang suddenly remembered how she had forgotten to arrange Blake’s books in alphabetical order after cleaning the bookshelves. _Good thing she’s still resting up or I’d get an earful._

Yang quickly scurried towards the shelves to remedy her mistake. It was by no means an arduous task. She has passed by and read from these shelves so many times that she could practically remember the proper spot for each paperback by memory alone. After the majority of the books had been placed in their proper spot, Yang’s attention was suddenly pulled by a lone book which she did not immediately recognize from the stack. Picking it up, Yang quickly realized it was the photo album she and Blake had received as a gift over a year ago when they had first moved in to their apartment. _Has it really been a year already?_ Yang thought in wonder. The photo album was still empty. With the chaos of unpacking and starting their new lives together, Blake and Yang had somehow managed to forget about the album while it resided at the bottom corner of one of their many bookshelves.

Yang tore her gaze away to look at the door to their bedroom where her exhausted girlfriend currently rested up. 

Yang wasn’t oblivious. She had clearly noticed that something was off with Blake ever since she and Ruby returned from their mission. Yang knew that things must have been extremely strenuous if even Ruby ended up slightly shaken by the task. As much as Yang wanted to urge Blake to talk to her, she was no stranger to the debilitation and fatigue that came after every hunt. Yang wasn’t going to stress Blake out more than she already was, but as she weighed the empty photo album in her hands, a smile split across her face as she thought of another way to hopefully brighten her girlfriend’s day, even just a little. 

* * *

 As Blake was pulled from her sleep, she first became aware of the soreness that still hadn’t left her body, then the gentle grasp of a hand on her shoulder, before she felt the soft touch of lips pressing against her forehead. She heard Yang’s voice gently tug her into consciousness.

“You have to wake up hon, foods here.” Blake groaned into the pillows, ears twitching as Yang chuckled at her reaction. Blake knew that Yang would never allow her to simply go back to sleep without at least a little nutrition, so, against her better judgment, Blake forced herself to sit up. She blearily rubbed the back of her hand against her eyelids while she let out a yawn.

“…what time is it?”

“Almost 8:30. I thought I’d wake you now before your stomach did.” Yang’s quip had Blake swipe harmlessly at her shoulder before her own body betrayed her and let out an animalistic growl as the smell of delicious takeaway drafted throughout the room. “See?”

“Whatever.” Blake accepted her box with food happily as Yang settled herself properly into the pillows beside her. They both sat upright as they enjoyed their meals in silence. Blake was still too tired to think functionally and Yang seemed content with the quiet for the moment as she munched away happily on her noodles.

After they had both finished dinner and thrown out the trash, Blake got herself ready to settle back to sleep, full and content. She was then interrupted by Yang walking back into their room after having disposed of their trash with something hiding behind her back. With her curiosity well and truly piqued, Blake didn’t see any reason to beat around the bush.

“What are you hiding?” Yang was sporting a cheery grin, though some underlining nervousness still got through. She sat down at the edge of the bed while still keeping the item obstructed from view.

“I’ll show you,” she promised, “just close your eyes for a sec and reach your hands forward, okay?” Blake rolled her eyes good naturally but complied with her girlfriend’s request. When her eyes closed and her hands were outstretched, she suddenly felt the familiar form of a book being placed into her hands.

Has she bought me a new book? Blake thought to herself. While it wasn’t unusual for Yang to get her these sorts of gifts from time to time for no other reason besides “I wanted you to have this” Blake still found it odd for Yang to give her this as a present this late at night. As she opened her eyes, though, Blake quickly realized that the object she was holding wasn’t just a simple book, but a photo album.

_Their_ photo album.

“Oh!” She exclaimed in a sudden burst of recognition. “I’d completely forgotten we still had this.” She looked up at Yang curiously, the book remained unopened on her lap. “Why did you want to show me this?” Yang moved from the edge to resettle at Blake’s side. She simply smiled while looking down pointedly at the album, waiting for Blake to open it. Giving in to her girlfriend’s silent demand, Blake turned the cover and, unlike the empty page she had expected, she instead came across a sampling of different photos from some of their earliest days as Beacon students.

“You seemed to have a lot on your thoughts since you and Ruby came back,” Yang said as Blake recovered from her surprise. Blake could feel an apology burning ready on her tongue, but Yang simply smiled at her and wrapped her right arm around her waist. “I don’t want you to stress yourself more out than you already are,” she assured, “so I thought about showing you a little something to get your mind off of stuff, just for a short while.” Yang turned to the next page revealing more memories from their early escapades in Beacon. On the two pages were several snapshots of their team’s first missions together from the first two semesters. They all ranged from victory poses to silly selfies, (most noticeably occurring between Yang and Ruby) and a few more serene pictures of the young huntresses in training simply laughing together at a silly joke someone had made. Blake felt her heart swell as she caught herself reminisce about those old days.

It was a bitter-sweet feeling for sure, considering the tragedy she knew would soon befall them at the Vytal Festival. It was thanks to the knowledge that everything turned out alright in the end that Blake still found it within herself to regard the pictures with a fond smile. It was also thanks to the fact that Yang had been so thoughtful and probably spent hours filling out the album with almost all their memories that Blake was once again reminded of how lucky her life had really turned out to be.

“You didn’t have to go through the trouble.” Blake still couldn’t help feeling like Yang might love her a bit more than she actually deserved. Yang simply scoffed.

“It wasn’t any trouble, it was actually kind of fun! It’s nice to go down memory lane every once in a while.” She pressed a sweet kiss into Blake’s cheeks and murmured against the soft skin. “And you know I’d do anything to make you smile…” Blake turned her head and answered with a kiss of her own, lips glided softly against Yang’s as she tried so hard to convey what she still found so difficult to voice aloud.

As the evening carried on into the night, they continued flipping through the pages and reminiscing about old memories. Some would make them laugh. The blurry picture capturing the exact moment Ruby realized that her “harmless” water balloon prank on Weiss had gone too far somehow managed to capture the face of a team leader fully regretting her decisions in life, as well as the enraged expression of a certain heiress who would have to compensate for a ruined dress, and a new partner.

Some pictures left them crestfallen. The aftermath of their food fight with team JNPR was shown in picture form as they scrubbed the floor, walls, and ceiling of grime. Weiss and Yang could be seen arguing with Nora as to who had really initiated the fight while their partners desperately tried to diffuse the heating debate. Off to the side, Jaune had somehow managed to get drenched from head to toe in the cleaning water they had been using to mop the floors, and to his side, Pyrrha stood with an amused expression as she tried to cheer him up. Her smile was bright and youthful, and it invoked a certain imprint of sadness in both Blake and Yang as they morosely regarded the bygone memory of their comrade and friend.

No matter the nature of the pictures, though, there was one thing about them that rang true from them all. They all left Blake with a certain longing. As they reached the last page, and Blake realized that there was still much space left to be occupied in the album, that longing only became that much stronger.

As the time approached midnight, Yang finally passed out on the bed, exhausted from the long day’s work. Blake remained awake. While Yang snored peacefully into the pillows, Blake took a moment to carefully regard her lover’s features. Blake couldn’t help herself when she carefully traced a hand down Yang’s cheek, feeling the softness of her skin and the warmth emanating from her body. She felt tired, but as she drew herself closer to Yang’s body, wrapping her arms around her strong frame, Blake made a promise to herself before she let sleep take her.

While their lives were dangerous, and there were no guarantees, Blake wouldn’t let her and Yang’s lives together end prematurely. She would make it her goal to fill out that photo album with is many memories as possible. She would make every moment count. One day, Blake hoped, she would be able to look through the album once more when it was completed, and whether the photos left her with smiles or tears, she would die happily if every captured moment with Yang displayed the brilliant woman with a golden smile. It didn’t matter what those pictures might depict or where the future had yet to take them. They had already shared so many precious moments together in this short year they have spent in their first apartment. As Blake plucked Yang’s hand, she lifted it up to her lips and made a vow. A vow that this first year, full of tears and joys, full of laughs and struggles, and most of all, full of love and devotion, would only be the first out of many.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And that's a wrap! 
> 
> I had been hoping to get this done much sooner, but with exams going on that really hasn't been possible... I'm done with this school year on the 20th though, so hopefully that will give me the motivation to pump out more content :D 
> 
> I hope this chapter made for a decent finale. It was oddly enough a lot easier to write compared to the other chapters, but I'm overall glad how this fic turned out. This chapter also reminded me of how much I miss Pyrrha :'D
> 
> Constructive criticism is always appreciated
> 
> Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> There's probably a lot of grammar mistakes in this one, but I really wanted to get this out today in honor of the second anniversary of Monty Oum's passing. I wish I had something more original to say other than "you are missed" but sometimes the truth is the only right thing to say, even when it's been said a lot.
> 
> Rest in Piece Monty
> 
> As always, constructive criticism is very much appreciated.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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